Traveling contact for electric railways



(No Model.)

J. R. FINNEY.

TRAVELING CONTACT FOR ELEGTRIG RAILWAYS. No. 268,476. Patented Dec. 5, 1882.

N. PETERS. MW, Wm B.

15 of thecontact.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH It. FINNEY, OF FITTSBURG, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND THOMA Y B. KERR, OF ALLEGHENY CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRAVELING CONTACT FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATIOIIT forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,476, dated December 5, 1882.

Application filed August 26, 1882. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern r Be it known that I, JosEPH R. FINNEY, of littsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Traveling Contacts for Electric Railways and Railway-Telegraphs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying draw- [O ings, forming a part of this specification, in

which- Figure 1 is a view of an electrical railwaycar, and illustrates the use of my improved traveling contact. Fig.2 isa perspective view Fig. 3 is a sectional View, showing also the bracket'upon which the main conductor is mounted. Figs. 4 and 5 are views of modified forms. Fig. (i is a detail sectional view of the tubular form of swinging bar,

0 with the branch wire passingthrough the same.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

My improvement is especially applicable for use upon that class of electrical railways and railroad=car telegraphs in which there is an overhead main conductor extending along the line of the railway-track, and in which the cir-- cuit is made through the motor or telegraphinstruments on the car by means of a branch 5 wire connected to the traveling contact mounted upon the main wire.

Referring now to the drawings, the traveler shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 consists of two sheaves, a at, having wide flanges a, so-as to fox-ma deep groove, (L in the periphery of the.

sheaves. Thesesheaves are connected together by a frame composed of bars I) b" and axles 00. The sheaves are so mounted on the axles c c as to be capable of turning easily thereon. 0 The branch wire d, which extends to the carf for connection with the motor or telegraph-instrumentsplaced therein, is secured to the bar I) by means of a pivoted plate, 6, so as to turn freely, in order that the strain of the branch 5 wire may come more nearly in line with the main conductor. A preferable construction is to have a rod, (1, extend downward some distance from the plates, and provided with a disk or loop, 9., at the lower end, to act as a .50 guide to the wire. The purpose of the rod g is to turn the platccon its pivot, in case of the sudden starting or stopping of the car, in order to prevent the surging of the branch wire and to prevent the strain of the draft being brought suddenly upon the traveler. The bar 5 g may be of tubular form and the branch wire at pass through it.

It is desirable to have a spring or other device interposed in the line of the branch wire for the purpose of taking up the slack of the same, and of holding it taut, so as to keep the traveler in close contact with the main wire h.

In the present instance I accomplish this by means of a spiral spring, '5, placed upon the rod gin the line of and forming part of the branch wire 01. The bar 9 acts as a guide for t the spring, so that when the draft comes upon it it will be stretched thereon.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the sheave a com structed of two parts, a a, and the bottom of the groove rounded, and having straight sides andof larger size than the main wire, so as not to bind thereon, but pass freely over it. The main conductor h is mounted hpon brackets is, screwed to the crossbar l of a post or other suitable support, and insulated by means of insulators L. The bracket k is bent down upon an ogee curve, and the conductor h is mounted on the extreme end, so that the traveler can pass along it without coming in contact with the bracket.

In Fig. 4 I show a traveler composed of two sheaves, a a, connected by a plate, m, to which the axles of the'traveler are secured. In this case the pivoted plate 6 is provided with a socket and binding-screw for attaching the wire thereto. y

In Fig. 5 I show a traveler composed of one sheave, and having the plate cattached to the axle at its side. In this case the sheave is 0 formed in one solid piece.

The advantages of my improved construction of traveler, with its broad flanges and deep groove, consist in its cheapness of construction, strength, and ease with which it may 5 be applied to and taken from the main condoctor, and its non-liability to he accidentally displaced therefrom. The traveler is made of a metal which is a good conductor of electricity.

In Fig. 5 I show a bracket, 76, which is of U IOQ V flanges and a deep peripheral groove formed by the flanges, in combination with an overhead main conductor, a vehicle, and an electrical conductor connecting said contact with the vehicle, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination of a railroad-car, a main conductor extending along the line of the railway-track,'an electrical traveling contact composed of two grooved sheaves mounted upon the top of the main conductor, and connected together by a suitable bar or plate, and a wire extending from said traveler to the car, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination of an electrical traveling contact composed of one or more grooved sheaves, with a tube or rod pivotally connected sesame thereto, and a wire extending from said trav- 2 eler and passing through a loop or ring at the nected therewith, a springmounted upon said rod or tube, and an electrical conductor connected to said spring, substantially as andfor the purposes described. 7

5. The combination of a. main-line wire or electrical conductor, a U shaped insulated bracket, upon the free end of which the mainline wire is mounted, a traveling contact mountedon the main-line wire, a vehicle, and a branch conductor extending from the traveling contact to the vehicle, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereofl have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of August, A. D. 1882.

.JOSEPH R. FINNEY. Witnesses:

'W. B. OORWIN, T. B. KERR. 

